Overview
- Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn found the 2025 decision to list Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation disproportionate, noting only a very small subset of its activities met terrorism definitions.
- The court set a further hearing and left the prohibition in place temporarily, with lawyers due to prepare by February 20 as the government pursues an appeal.
- Proscription in July 2025 placed the activist group on the same list as Al Qaeda and Hamas and made membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
- Police enforcement has been extensive, with reports of more than 2,700 detentions and over 250 charges, and the Metropolitan Police now says it will not arrest people solely for expressing support while continuing to gather evidence of offences.
- The government cited actions targeting defence firms such as Elbit Systems and an intrusion at RAF Brize Norton that allegedly damaged two aircraft, while rights groups and co‑founder Huda Ammori hailed the ruling as a victory for free expression.